The biggest and perhaps least likely state to try performance funding will tie billions of dollars for community colleges to measures of student success, a plan faculty groups say will punish students and colleges.

Lobbying group for independent colleges says it's open to expanding federal data collection on student outcomes but remains opposed to student-level database favored by public colleges and many policy makers.

Illinois community college sees results from encouraging faculty members to meet one-on-one with students to increase persistence, adding extra pressure on instructors to build relationships with their students.